What Illness Does Simon Reeve Have? Health Condition Explored
Ava White
Published Apr 20, 2026
Simon Alan Reeve, known simply as Simon Reeve, is a British journalist, author, documentary filmmaker, adventurer, and television presenter.
Reeve makes environmental and global travel documentaries and has written many books about international terrorism, modern history, and various adventures.
He is most known for being the first and only author to document the 1993 World Trace Center bombing.
Reeve is also popular for his many television programs and series for the BBC. Out of them all, his most popular ones are:
- Holidays in the Danger Zone: Places That Don't Exist: This show is a five-part travel documentary where Reeve visits small breakaway states and unrecognized nations. Some of the countries he visited are:
- Somaliland
- Transnistria
- Nagorno-Karabakh
- Adjara
- Abkhazia
- Tropic of Cancer: The premise of this show is that it is a documentary where Reeve travels through countries in the Tropic of Cancer. Some of the countries he visited are:
- Mexico
- Cuba
- Bahamas
- Western Sahara
- Mauritania
- Equator: This show is a documentary where Reeve travels through countries along the Equator. Some of the countries he visited are:
- Gabon
- Republic of the Congo
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Maldives
- Tropic of Capricorn: This show is a documentary where Reeve travels through countries in the Tropic of Capricorn. Some of the countries he visited are:
- Namibia
- Botswana
- South Africa
- Mozambique
- Chile
Reeve has also written three New York Times best-selling books:
- The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism, published in 1998
- One Day in September, published in 2000
- Tropic of Capricorn, published in 2000
Lastly, Reeve has won the following awards:
- One World Broadcasting Trust Award
- 2012 Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society (RGS)
Quick Info
| Age: | 50 |
| Net Worth: | $1.5 Million |
| Profession: | Author, Documentary Filmmaker, Television Presenter |
| Nationality: | British |
| Spouse: | Anya Reeve |
| Children: | 1 |
| Awards: | 3 |
| Documentaries: | 27 |
| Books: | 5 |
| Years Active: | 1998 - Present |
What Illness Does Simon Reeve Have?
Simon Reeve had recently worried his fans when he shared a video of his heart scan stating he was checking for any vegetation growth.
The adventurer clarified that said vegetation growth is not a good thing but finally gave the all-clear when he said he was fine.
However, this didn't stop his fans from worrying, and fans filled the adventurer's mentions, comments, and retweets with worried messages, simultaneously glad he was okay but also concerned about his health.
Though Reeve has not stated anything about his illness, many believe that he picked up this "Exotic illness" from one of his work trips.
As someone who travels to the furthest edges of the world, and all the countries in between, it comes as no surprise that Reeve could have picked up something exotic.
This brush with sickness isn't the first time Reeve has caught something during his travels. Reeve famously caught malaria during his journey around the Equator.
Though he didn't suffer seriously, the adventurer is lucky to be alive as malaria is one of the most deadly diseases in the world.
He learned from his experience, though, as he has since become an ambassador for the Malaria Awareness Campaign.
It's a surprise that Reeve hasn't gotten sick more times than he has, given his travels through the many places, climates, and zones of the Earth. He is a resilient one.
More About Simon Reeve's Health Condition And Sickness
Simon Reeve has not talked much about his health after his brush with this "Exotic" illness.
However, this exotic illness was serious enough that the globe-trotter had to spend some time in the hospital. Reeve went to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where he was checked by the Microbiology team and Infection specialists.
Reeve said he hadn't felt this worse since he got malaria in 2006. Judging from his tweets, the adventurer suffered the brunt of the effects of the illness from March to May.
The tweet of his heart was the last time he mentioned the "Exotic" illness on Twitter and in general. Though his fans have been curious about what the illness could be, the man has traveled to too many places to gauge just what was wrong with him.
Aside from sickness, Reeve has also found himself in many dangerous situations because of the nature of his profession and his personality.
Perhaps the biggest danger the man put himself in happened when he was just 21. Citing the fearlessness of youth, Reeve began investigating the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
His book on Osama bin Laden was also the first on the terrorist, and the text warned people of many of the organization's apocalyptic acts.
Even before 21, at the younger age of 18, Reeve once followed a weapons dealer from Gatwick airport. Young Reeve was already helping a team of investigative journalists and working on nuclear and weapons smuggling investigations when he was a teenager.
It's not only a surprise that the adventurer hasn't passed away from disease but also through the many dangers he constantly puts himself in.
Who Is Simon Reeve's Wife?
Simon Reeve is married to television camerawoman and campaigner Anya Reeve who once stood as a Green Party candidate.
Anya Reeve, born Anya Courts, is the daughter of David Courts, a renowned jeweler, and a Danish mother.
Simon and Anya met while working together. The two would work on Simon's BBC travel documentaries, where she filmed and researched behind the scenes while he was in front of the camera.
The beginning of the relationship was especially romantic, as the globe-trotter has shared that he looked across the room, saw her, and became instantly smitten.
When they started dating, he was 32, and she was 33. The adventurer stated that their relationship became serious immediately as they both felt too old to be at odds with their desires.
And the two both wanted to spend their lives with each other. Marriage was easy, and although Reeve wanted to stay in London, his wife, a Londoner, convinced him to move to the countryside.
The choice to move to the countryside was twofold as it gave them the chance to live somewhere healthier and raise children.
However, Simon and Anya knew that conceiving could be a problem. Simon told Anya early on that he was happy to compromise on everything else but needed to have children.
Reeve dreamed of having children ever since he was young, not just one, but a whole brood.
Once they got married, Anya sat Simon down and told him that biology was working against them, and they needed to get pregnant soon if they wanted children.
Though it took a while for Simon to register what Anya said, they started the conceiving process immediately, for many months, but it didn't take.
Nothing worked, and now that Anya was 38 and Simon was 37, they sought advice from fertility experts who discovered that Simon was the problem.
Determined to make it work, Simon overhauled his entire routine, diet, and workout. Finally, months after following the new regimen, Simon and Anya welcomed their son Jake into the world.
Read more about BBC professionals: Is Zeb Soanes Leaving BBC, Where Is He Going To Work?
How Much Is Simon Reeve's Net Worth?
Through his various documentaries and books, Simon Reeve's net worth is estimated at $1.5 million as of 2022.
The adventurer earned his income through various documentaries, awards, and books.
From 2003 to 2022, Reeve has been in twenty-seven television documentaries. In 2017 alone, the man was in three documentaries.
Reeve has come far from the troubled youth he once was. He required counseling due to behavioral problems like starting fires and setting off explosives at the Ealing Broadway Centre from 14.
The adventurer has stated that he doesn't remember his final months at school. He has also stated that he was close to ending it all many times, but something always made him climb back from the edge.
After school, he took a series of odd jobs until he began helping a team of investigative journalists while working at a library. These activities were where he discovered his love for investigative journalism, which has brought him so far in life.
Reeve has built a fine career for himself and has performed countless services to humanity, from his book about al-Qaeda to his many documentaries.
Read more about BBC professionals: All We Know About BBC News Channel Presenter Yalda Hakim's Husband, Abed Rashid.